Special to the Sun
Nine exemplary individuals and one accomplished group compose the 2026 class of the Woodford County Public Schools Hall of Fame.
The organization will honor its 14th class of inductees on Aug. 28 and 29, first during halftime of the Woodford County High School football game (Aug. 28) and then at a ceremony in the Woodford County High School Theater (Aug. 29).
Launched in 2012, the Hall of Fame pays tribute to alumni of Woodford County schools, as well as to local citizens who support Woodford students.
The next group of inductees for the Woodford County Public Schools Hall of Fame is in the category of Athletics (Extraordinary achievements as an athlete or coach). To find out more about the Hall of Fame follow our facebook page, Woodford County Public Schools Hall of Fame. For information about nominating future inductees, email wcpshof@woodford.kyschools.us. To check out past inductees, go to https://www.woodford.kyschools.us/halloffame.
Extraordinary achievement as an athlete
lan Horn (WCHS 1998) – Three-time State Champion Wrestler, Kentucky Most Valuable Wrestler, All-American, three years undefeated, highly successful combination athlete.
In its storied history, the WCHS Wrestling program has produced over 90 state champions. lan Horn’s three individual state championships and a host of other accomplishments place him as one of the all-time WCHS greats.
Beginning in the sixth grade, Horn wrestled in WCHS varsity matches and was a full-time varsity wrestler by the seventh grade. His three state championships came in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He was named Kentucky Most Valuable Wrestler in 1998. Other accomplishments included being named a high school All-American and National Wrestling Hall of Fame award winner. Horn remained undefeated in his final three years of matches in the state of Kentucky. He was a state placer five times, he won four regional titles, and he helped lead his team to back-to-back state titles in 1996 and 1997.
In Soccer, Horn made the WCHS varsity in the eighth grade and earned five varsity letters. He started four years, and as a sophomore was a valuable member on the 1995 Yellow Jacket Final Four soccer team. That team still ranks as the greatest achievement by a boys’ squad in WCHS history. Horn was named All-State, Team Captain, and team MVP his senior year and went on to a successful college soccer career at Earlham College where he and his team were inducted into the Earlham Hall of Fame in 2015.
Extraordinary achievement as a coach
Jay Lucas (WCMS & WCHS 1983-2017) – Storied coaching career for WCHS and WCMS girls’ basketball, award-winning WCHS athletic director and Hall of Fame baseball coach.
As WCMS head girls’ basketball coach, Lucas won 941 games in 31 seasons and garnered 23 Conference Championships and 14 Tournament titles.
Lucas became a WCHS Girls’ basketball assistant coach in 1988 under Hall of Fame Coach Bill Hill. The team won four district and two regional championships. He took over as head coach in 1996 and in his 21-year career won 376 games, making him the 30th all-time winningest coach in Kentucky history. His 2002 Lady Jackets won the 11th Region Championship and his teams reached the regional semi-finals six times. His girls won nine district championships and set a record winning 58 straight district games from 2000 to 2007. He was voted 11th Region Coach of the Year six times and KABC Coach of the Year in 2005. His 2004-05 team set a school record of 29 straight wins and was ranked 4th in the state in a season dubbed “priceless” in a video documentary made about that season.
Lucas was also head WCHS baseball coach for 20 seasons with a 410-282 record, winning five district championships with seven runner-up finishes. During his tenure as WCHS athletic director, he was named 11th Region Athletic Director of the Year in 2017. His Alma mater, Transylvania University, inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2023 based on his coaching career.
Look for our next group of inductees in next week’s Sun.